Political Communication

The program in political communication is designed for those students wishing to supplement their major programs with an emphasis on communication skills, knowledge and abilities specifically relevant to participation in political environments. Students must complete a core set of courses, an internship in the field of political communication and a selection of electives.

All political communication minors are required to take a PCOM internship in the Department of Political Science or the Department of Communication Studies. Before enrolling for a PCOM internship, students should have attained junior status, completed the PCOM core requirements and taken at least one upper level PCOM course. Some academic units may have additional prerequisites for their internship course. All SCOM majors with a minor in PCOM are required to take SCOM 495 for their PCOM internship requirement (and to have met the prerequisites for this course). POSC, INTA and PPA majors minoring in PCOM must complete POSC 493 to fulfill the internship requirement. All other majors may take either POSC 493 or SCOM 318 as a means of satisfying their internship. Before pursuing any internship, students must consult with the PCOM coordinator to ensure that the internship is suitable for the minor.

For majors in SCOM who minor in PCOM, a maximum of six credits of course work from the minor can be counted toward the requirements for the major. For SMAD majors, only three credits from the minor may be counted toward the major.

There is no limit on double counting between the POSC major and the PCOM minor. All students must complete 25-26 credit hours for the minor.